Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Cassette Review: Rayning "Rayning" (Hacktivism Records)

When I first began listening to this cassette by Rayning I heard elements of FNL and thought that it might begin leaning towards shoegaze but I wasn't entirely sure it would go that way. Sure enough, as I've listened to this several times through now I can definitely hear the shoegaze coming out I'm just not entirely sure what other artist it might compare with.

Distorted synth beats begin Side A and there are uplifting synth tones as well. When the singing comes in I'm hearing a synthwave or synthpop sound before it gets slower and really hits the full shoegaze tilt. It really resembles a slower version of some shoegaze band but I can't put my finger on which one so I don't spend too much time worrying about it.

Side B opens with the FNL guitars and is instrumental but then it can get fuzzy, as part of the shoegaze realm of music and it could be something along similar lines of The Sorry Shop or Savage Sister. There is probably a more apt comparison there but I can't think of one if only because I haven't heard shoegaze for a little while.

The last song, which is also instrumental, has this guitar riff that reminds me a little bit of Two Gallants mixed with Cloud Nothings and as such it kind of moves away from the general shoegaze feel but this is still just such a solid cassette.